Clause 1 - General functions of local authority: England
Childcare Bill
10:45 am
Tim Loughton (Shadow Minister (Children), Health; East Worthing and Shoreham, Conservative)
We want to spend some time teasing out the detail of the clause, and so many of the amendments are, by necessity, probing. We shall see how the Minister responds to them. A great number of amendments have been so far tabled, and I guess that several more shall be tabled before the Bill is out. There are some interesting groupings, which involve flitting from clause to clause and, later on, from schedule to clause. However, with your understanding, Mr. Amess, I am sure that we shall pull it off.
The first group of amendments is tabled in the name of myself and my hon. Friends; no doubt, they are supported by the latecomer to this Bill, my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), whom we welcome. No doubt, she will add her name to the amendments.
Amendment No. 64, taken with amendment No. 1, is about teasing out how the Government plan to reduce inequalities. All in the Room shall applaud the aim of reducing inequalities in well-being between young children. The Government have had mixed success with that during the past eight-and-a-half years. Despite the Chancellor’s claims about taking children out of poverty, the poverty gap between children and between the richest and poorest has by several measures actually widened. I do not want to see the narrowing of a gap just for the sake of ticking a box; I want to see the raising of standards, qualities and experiences for all.
Several hon. Membersrose—